Vertical axis roundabout



May l, 1951 v A CORSE-RE 2,550,974

VERTICAL AXIS ROUNDABOUT Filed June 28, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet l ZT/.z 9 1.

ZZ Z/ ATTE! R N EYE May 1, 1951 Filed June 28, 1948 A. coRsERE 2,550,974

VERTICAL AXIS ROUNDABOUT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. And/auf fons/ere ATTRN EYs May 1, 1951 A. coRsERE 1 2,550,974

VERTICAL AXIS ROUNDABOUT Filed June 28, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l INVENToe. Anc/read @were ATTORNEYS Patented May 1, 1.951

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEy VERTICAL AXIS ROUNDABOUT Andrew Corsere, Mount Vernon, Ill.

Application June 28, 1948,:.Serial N0.H35,669

2 Claims. 1`

This invention relates to.A a carnivalride and more .particularly to va carnival ride having a pluralityiof. removable seats which are adapted when'in operation to have imparted thereto a wave-likemovement, thus providing amusement and novelty.

The object of the invention is to provide anew and'improved carnival ride arranged to give thev seats a uniformup-and-down motion and without requiring much driving power.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carnival-"ride that is so simple and rugged in design that it can be manufactured .with a minimum of ease and expense.

Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during Vche course of the following' description..

In the'A accompanying drawings forming part of 'this' application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same: v

FigureV 1 is a top plan View 0f the cording `to the present invention;A

Figure'Z Yis an enlarged top plan Iview of one of the swinggseats, according to the present invendevice, ac-

tion

'Figure is a side elevational view of the device;

'Figiireg '4 A`-isan enlarged side elevational 'view illustrating the swing support arm in engagement with the track;

Figure 5 is a topplan view of the driving mechanisrn `for the carnival ride;

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the driving mechanism;

Figure 7 is. a top plan view of the brake.

In'the drawings, ,wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral I9 indicates a vertically disposed tower support fabricated of suitable angle irons, ,struts and gusset plates fastened in such a manner as. to' make the support `easily assembled 'and disassembled. Arranged intermediate the tower support I is a rotatable centersupport pole'II having a horizontally disposed support plate I2 secured to the topthereof."

Arranged in circumposed relation withrespect to a portion .of the pole II and extending longitudinally therealong is an outside sleeve I3, the

pole-` I I. .being in frictional engagement with the sleeve I3 so that rotation of the pole normally causes the sleeve to rotate therewith.

Secured to the top of the sleeve I3 is a horizontally disposed plate I4, the plate I4 being rotatably spaced above the top of the tower supl.track supportarrns I5, Figures 3 and 4.

vsupport. lever 22.

port I0, there being a suitable bearing positioned between the plate I4 and the. top of the tower support... Extending. downwardly from the plate I4 V'and secured .thereto isa plurality of spaced The lower ends of the arms I 5 are secured as by welding, to. the inner face of a'continuous undulatingv track I6, for supporting the latter.

Secured to the pole II and arranged in super-` imposed relation with respect to the plate I4 is a casting I'I. Extending radially from the casting 'I7 and secured thereto is a plurality of horizontally disposed spaced swing support arms I8, Figures 1, 2 and 3, each of the outer ends of the armsy I8 being provided with a bracket I9, the respective brackets being connected together by means of tie rods 20. Extending between the support plate .I2 and the Ibrackets I9 'and connected thereto are a plurality of top support by each of the swing support arms I8 is a swing The levers 22 are pivotallyk rods 2I,'Figures l and 3. Dependingly carried Connected to the flanges v23 of the brackets I9 thus permitting the levers 22 to be pivoted about a horizontal axis. The inner end of each of the levers 22 is provided with a stud bolt 24 carrying la' rotatable roller 25 `for engagement with the track' It,` whileV arranged in spaced relation above the roller 25 and secured to each of the levers 22 is a finger 26,.Figures 3 and 4.

The outer end of each of the levers 22 projects` beyond. the respective swing support arms I8 and is `provided with a rotatable pin 21. Dependingly carried by each of the pins 2,1 is a chain hitch 28 having aninverted T-shape for supporting a. single or double swing seat 29,. there being a .pair of chains 30 secured tothe respective ends of the chain hitch and seat for supporting the latter, Figures 2 and 3.

The driving mechanism for the carnival ride isj shown in Figures 3, 5 and 6 and comprises a horizontally disposed .drivingshaft 3| driven by a suitable gasoline or electric motor (not shown).

Mounted on one end of the shaft 3| is a pulley l 3 2. Arranged -in spaced parallel relation with re-N spect to lthe shaft 3l and-supported on the rods 9 `ofthe tower support` It is. a horizontallydisposed driven .rotatable shaft 33 having a drivel wheel34 on one end thereof, while trained over the whee1-34 and pulley 32 is an endlessbelt 35.`

33 to thereby rotate when the shaft 33 is being rotated. Secured to one end of the clutch element 3l is a clutch collar 38 and operatively connected to the clutch collar 38 is a clutch handle 39 which is pivotally connected to the tower support I by means of the pivot pin 40, the pivotal movement of the handle 39 causing the clutch elementtl to be moved into and out of frictional engagement with the gear element 36 to thereby rotate the latter when desired. Arranged in embracing relation with respect to a portion of the gear element 33 is a contacting brake band 4I. The band 4I is movable into engagement with the outer surface of the gear element 36 to thereby prevent rotation of the latter when desired and for actuating the brake band 4I a brake lever 55 is provided. The brake lever 55 has one end 5S pivotally connected to one of the struts o the tower support Iii and the brake lever is operatively connected to the brake banditi.

Arranged in spaced, parallel, relation with respect to the driven shaft 33 and rotatably supported on the tower support I9 is a horizontally disposed, rotatable shaft 42 having a large gear 2 journaled thereon for meshing engagement with a gear 3G journaled on the lower end of the pole I l, the end of the shaft 42 and the lower end of the pole I I being positioned within a shaft housing 45.

Supported on the tower support I and operatively connected to the sleeve I3 is an internal expansion type brake 43, Figures 6 and '7. The brake 46 embodies a hollow housing 41 which has arranged therein the usual brake shoes that are movable into and out of frictional Contact with the sleeve I3 for preventing rotation of the sleeve when desired. A coil spring 48 is mounted on the housing 4l for normally urging the brake shoes out of frictional contact with the sleeve I3, and positioned in a slot 49 of the housing 41 is a wedge 53. Connected to the wedge G is a link 5I and secured to the link 5I is a brake lever 52 pivotally connected to the tower support II).

With the wedge 59 positioned as show n inv Fig- 1 ure 7, the brake shoes are not in engagement with the sleeve I3 so that the sleeve 'I3 rotates with the pole I I.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows. Power is supplied to the shaft 3i by a suitable gasoline or electric motor (not shown) thereby driving the shaft 33. The clutch element 3l is keyed to the driven shaft 33 and is mounted for longitudinal movement along the shaft 33 so that pivotal movement of the handle 39 in one direction moves the rotating clutch element into frictional engagement with the gear element 36 to thereby cause the latter to rotate, the gear element 3S being loosely mounted on the shaft 33. For preventing rotation of the gear element 36, a brake band el is arranged in embracing relation therewith and is actuatable upon movement of the brake lever 42. Arranged in meshing'relation-with respect to the gear element 35' is a large gear 2 which is journalled on the rotatable shaft d2. Secured to one end of the shaft 42 which is driven by the rotary action of the gear element 39 and gear 2, is a bevel gear 43 which drives a horizontally disposed bevel gear 44 to thereby rotate the pole or standard II.Y rotary movement oi the pole II causes the outside sleeve i3 to rotate since the latteris in frictional engagement with the pole I I. This rotation of the pole I I and sleeve I3 causes a rotation of the swings 2Q which are operatively connected to the pole Il and sleeve I3. Next, the brake 45 is actuated by means of the handle 52, preventing the sleeve I3 from rotating, but permitting the .pole I I to rotate freely within the sleeve I3. Thus, an up and down motion will be imparted to the revolving seats 29 since the track i3 is carried by the sleeve I3, and the sleeve is now stationary. Thus, since the seats '29 are operatively connected to the rotating pole II, the rollers 25 of the pivoted levers 22 carried by the seats 29 will engagethe stationary track l to thereby impart an up and down motion to the revolving seats 29.

However', since many other modications and purposes of this invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a perusal or" the foregoing description, it is to be understood that certain changes in style, size and components may be effected without a departure from the spirit o the inventionand within the scope of the appended claims. i

Having described the invention, what isV claimed as new is:

l. In a carnival ride, a tower support, a vertiy cally-disposed rotatable pole carried by said sup y port, a sleeve arranged in concentricrelation with respect to said pole, swing-support arms carried by said pole, a lever carried by each of said arms and mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, a seat carried by one end of each of said levers, means operatively connected to the other end of said levers for pivoting said seats, said last-named means-comprising a plurality 0f track-supportarms carried by said sleeve, a track dependingly supported by said track -support arms, brake means for selectively preventing rotary movement of said sleeve and track to cause said seat to travel in an undulating path and means operatively connected to said pole for rotating the latter. L j

'In a carnival ride, a ltower support, a 'Verti-.

cally-disposed rotatable pole carried by said support, a sleeve arranged in concentric relation' with respect to said pole, swing-support arms carried by said pole, a lever carried by each of said arms and mounted `for `pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, a seat carried by one end of each of said levers, means operatively connected to the other end of said levers for pivoting said seats, said last-named means comprising a plurality of track-support arms carried by said sleeve, a track dependingly supported by said track-support arms, and brake means embodying a manually operable brake lever for selectively preventing rotary movement of said sleeve and tra-clito cause said seat to travel in an undulating path, and means operatively connected to said pole for rotating the latter'.` e

, ANDREW CORSERE.

REFERENCES CITED Thefcllowing references are rof record in theA file of this patent:

UNITED STATES vPA'IENTS 

